A/N: This idea's been banging in the back of my head since I first read the summary for the season's final double episode and saw the promo pics. (SPOILER ALERT) So we know that one of the teammembers is going to end up as a hostage. I've taken a REALLY good look at those promo pics and Reid's the only member not in them, safe and sound. I'm also fairly sure that I saw Will – or a damn good lookalike – in one of those pics inside the bank, which would mean that he's in as well. And yup, we've been told that one teammember is going to get married. (DAMN, are they busy or what!) That all should lead to quite a pickle… (shudders) Plus, I'm pretty sure that they'll finish with a cliffie. Not that I'd be in the place to complain, though… (SPOILER ALERT ENDS) So, as you can see from that rant, this fic's been processing for quite some time. It's an obsession, really. (chuckles)
WARNINGS: POTENTIAL SPOILERS, language… Huh, that's it? Dang, that's a shortie. (blinks)
DISCLAIMER: Nope, my name's still on 'CM' credits. (pouts, and cries a little) But oh, a girl can dream…
Awkay. (takes a breath) They say you should rip off a bandage as quickly as you can so here we go. I REALLY hope that this ride will please ya!
Hit & Run
It'd been a long, horrible day. Such the BAU-team couldn't wait to see ending. As the day began to turn towards the dark of night unit chief Aaron Hotchner's couldn't remember the last time he would've felt as exhausted.
His head turned towards a tiny tv-screen nearby as he heard a female voice. News reporter Gina Tryan's blue eyes shone with excitement and her neatly cut, short black hair had been combed carefully. She looked a lot taller on screen than she actually was, standing there less than forty steps away from him. This was most likely the highlight of her career so far. The thought sickened him. "Earlier today a group of bankrobbers took several hostages, including a FBI-agent from BAU-group and a police officer. Three hours ago the hostage situation in a local bank was resolved but the team of bank robbers took the FBI-agent with them." She turned towards the building behind her. "Now the situation is reaching its peak in this old school. A couple of hours ago the local police took the lead as no negotiations succeeded in breaking the deadlock. A SWAT-team appeared some minutes ago. It's to be expected that this will be all over soon…"
Aaron swallowed thickly, a rotten taste rising into his mouth.
They'd failed. There was no other way of expressing it. They hadn't managed to build together a solid enough profile and now the robbers were about to get what they'd wanted. They'd go down more famous than ever, in front of at least twenty reporters and television cameras.
They'd go down and if they'd have their way they'd take Dr. Spencer Reid there with them.
Aaron shivered a little when a hand was laid to his shoulder. He turned his head to find David Rossi's grim face. "I just got a call from JJ. Will's going to be alright. He doesn't even have to spend the night in a hospital. She's coming here as soon as she can."
Aaron nodded, those good news helping him breathe just a little bit more easily. Only hours ago Will had also been in the hands of this violent group. Sickening flashbacks of the day when Haley died floated in. He had a fairly good idea of what JJ had gone through today.
And the nightmare wasn't even over yet. In fact the worst might be yet to come.
"This is wrong", Derek Morgan snarled, his eyes narrowing. The man was visibly shaking with rage, frustration and fear. The agent gestured towards the building. "We should be in there, Hotch! Those guys… They don't know what they're dealing with. They're going to risk Reid's life!"
Aaron gritted his teeth together, once again focusing on the building. If he was fully honest with himself he agreed with Derek. But the choice wasn't in his hands anymore. Spencer's life wasn't in his hands anymore.
The entire solemn group shivered, their over stressed nerves taking the best of them, when Emily Prentiss' cell phone started ringing. Her eyes darkened and widened for a second when she took a look at who the caller was. Her hand wasn't stable when she put the caller on speaker. "Reid?" Her voice had never sounded quite like that before. Sheer terror swam in her eyes.
Before she could say or do a thing Derek had taken the phone from her. "Reid?" The dark skinned man's far too loud voice held a quiver. "Are you okay?"
There was a sound none of them identified. "I'm fine." The line was so poor that it was impossible to tell if Spencer sounded pained. There was a brief pause. "I, uh… They told me to call you."
There was loud clattering, shouts. Distant yet approaching steps of the SWAT-team. Aaron's eyebrows furrowed while his heartbeat shot up. "Reid? What's going on in there?"
Even more shouts could be heard, along with something extremely loud. Was the SWAT-team trying to take down the room's door? Something that sounded suspiciously lot like a sob slipped through Spencer's lips. "I… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Derek's eyes widened to a impossible extend. "Reid?"
Elsewhere, safely away from television and internet and blissfully unaware of the horrendous situation, Penelope Garcia inhaled a deep, shuddering breath, bracing herself. A tiny smile appeared to her face when she took a glimpse into a mirror. She'd never looked or felt as beautiful as she did in the red dress she was wearing. And for a moment she felt sadness over not being able to share this with those closest to her.
The idea of getting married in secrecy had come to her and Kevin like a bolt of lightning. She couldn't understand how she'd done it but she'd managed to stay quiet, even withstanding Aaron's questioning look when she asked for a couple of days off for personal reasons. The only one who knew was Emily. The brunette had come into her office just as she'd been scrolling through wedding web-pages. With a huge hug and a bright smile Emily had sworn to keep her secret. The agent had proven herself worth the trust.
Shivering under a moment of remorse Penelope glanced towards her turned off cell phone. What if this was a mistake, after all? Maybe calling Derek, at least…
"Woah!" The look on Kevin Lynch's face made absolutely all doubts shatter and fade away. The man stared at her with such love and admiration she'd never seen before. "You… You look… Wow!"
Penelope turned around with a smile and stared back, noticing how good Kevin looked in his tuxedo. "So do you", she whispered. No longer scared or in doubt she made her way to him and took his hand, squeezing tightly. "Now let's get married."
They had each other, she reasoned. They'd have each other forever. Wasn't it all that mattered, really?
In a tiny chapel, under their old priest's gentle eyes, they turned to face each other and came to a conclusion that they were most definitely ready. Nonetheless Kevin's voice shook ever so slightly when he began to speak. "I, Kevin Lynch, take you, Penelope Garcia, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward…"
In the meantime the rest of the team waited anxiously. For just that once none of them bothered to hide what was going through their heads. When the sounds of the door giving in and breaking down came Aaron and David exchanged a look, both of them falling pale. Emily emitted a wounded yelp, bringing her hand to her lips. There were shouts; curses and threats. Someone screamed.
Derek's eyes grew even wider than before. He squeezed the phone so hard that his knuckles turned white. "REID!" he bellowed, so loudly that he caught the attention of the TV-group.
And then the sound of a gunshot floated through the phone.
"REID!"
"… until death do us part."
End.
A/N: Aaaand that's how I see season 7 ending in my mind's eye. (quirks an eyebrow) Don't ask – I have no clue where these ideas come from. (To tell you the truth, I'd be willing to do quite a bit for a Reid-centric episode. So long as he's still on board for season 8 I'm happy with any twists and turns.) (Yes, I'm a sadist.)
PLEASE, leave a review! Let me know if this piece was any good in your book, at all. (gives puppy's eyes) Pwease…? It'd count as your good deed for the day.
Thank you so much for reading this!
Peace out!